29 changes in the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake

After an hour with the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, IGN (via Logan Plant) counted 29 concrete changes compared to the original 1998 game, calling the result "a genuine reimagining rather than a lazy remaster." The game launches November 5, 2026, exclusively on Switch 2.

Adjustments as early as Kokiri Forest

The starting wallet capacity jumps from 99 to 200 rupees. The five secret rupees you used to get by jumping across the platforms near the shop are gone, replaced by blue rupees scattered around the forest. A new training dummy near the shop teaches you how to raise your defenses, and the Kokiri Sword chest has moved to a raised platform that now requires a jump to reach.

The Forest Temple, a redesigned dungeon in practice

Several changes specifically touch the Forest Temple. Hookshot targets are more conventional (one above the front door, for instance), a new elevator shortens repeat trips after a block-and-ladder puzzle, and Floormasters are now telegraphed by a color-changing spotlight before they appear. The hole in the Stalfos arena has been replaced by a shallow pool of acid that hurts Link but not the enemy, which keeps the fight playing out the same way it always did. Mansion rooms are now color-coded (red carpets and stained glass on the red Poe side, blue on the other), and the final Poe encounter has been remixed: no time limit on the sliding block puzzle, an extra fake block, a new cutscene, and a different pattern in each round.

Deeper dialogue, across the board

Dialogue is expanded throughout: more banter between characters, fully voiced cutscenes (except for Link, who stays silent), and dialogue choices that can land sharper than before. Din's Fire is now cast in real time instead of freezing the world while it plays out.

Quality-of-life built for 2026

A songbook can now be pulled up quickly while playing the ocarina. A fifth empty bottle slot has been added, and the inventory now separates Child Link-only items (top left), Adult Link-only items (top right), and shared items (bottom). The hookshot reticle turns red when a shot is about to connect. A new quest log offers light guidance, written in a legend-like style that fits the game's tone.

Sources

• NewsBeep (republishing IGN's preview by Logan Plant): 29 New Changes in the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
• TURGAME: More Than a Fresh Coat of Paint — 29 Smart Tweaks

The bottom line

The 29 changes IGN counted touch level design (reworked dungeons, new shortcuts) just as much as presentation (expanded dialogue, full voice acting) and quality of life (reorganized inventory, a quest log). That makes this remake far more than a simple visual facelift of the 1998 game, without changing the broad shape of its combat and puzzles. Out November 5, 2026, on Switch 2.